Rex . pk . fin

I clutch the bow tighter, my pointer finger of my right hand placed on the trigger, ready, waiting. The silence around me seems to grow thicker and I feel my heart begin to race faster. Adrenaline pumped through my veins and a wicked smile forms on my chapped lips. This was my favourite part, the part of waiting, the part that filled my body, my very being with anticipation. The snap of a leaf and instantly my attention is dragged towards it, my eyes, snapping to the left where I see a small flash of movement before the beast bursts from the undergrowth, its teeth flashing, dripping with saliva. It snarls and despite how frightening the beast was I smile, my lips pulling back to reveal teeth that were discoloured. "Come at me you son of a bitch," I growl, loading my arrow before aiming my crossbow and pushing the trigger in moments. The arrow flies threw the air just as the beast leaps but it is too late. It finds its home, deep within the beasts skull. There is a loud thud as the body hits earth and my smile turns into a grin. "Thats what I thought," I spit on the ground beside its head, pulling the arrow out of its skull, before walking away, my bow slung lazily over my shoulder. 

* * *

Rex, 

You are to report to HQ immediately. Your assistance is needed  as a team effort. Please report to me as soon as you arrive so I can debrief you. 

~Captain Stone.

ps. dont be rude. 

pss. when I say team effort I mean team effort. 

* * *

I arrive in the capitol a few days later. For some people it might have only taken a few hours, taking trains and fast expensive cars and other vehicles. But not me. I was not like the others. I lived on the very edge of the capitol, my home a small bunker deep within one of the many forests. Not many people actually knew about my whereabouts, most people believed I was actually homeless, that I spent all my money on booze and drugs- which was not exactly wrong if I were to be honest. A huge sum of my money did go towards those luxuries, but not all of it.

It was a long hike for me, with my back pack and crossbow slung over my shoulder but it was a hike I had done many times before. One that I did not hate, well not until I actually reached the capitol, its lights and buildings and pollution and noise making me feel sick. I grew up in the heart of the capitol. My father a well respected Peacekeeper, my mother was a fashion Icon. On the outside they seemed like the perfect couple, but when you looked closer you could see the cracks. They tried to hide, wanting to maintain the respect that they had gained but, like everything else, a person, a relationship, can only take a certain amount of pressure before it breaks, shattering, the pieces so broken that they could not put them back together. 

I was that pressure. I was the thing that snapped them. They never said it out loud but I could tell from the way that they used to look at me, bot with love but with tolerance. Maybe that was the reason why I was never able to love, never able to care. the reason why i was heartless and cruel and harsh. I had learnt from them that love wasnt real, that everything was just a facade and that love really was just pain. So I never loved, I just lusted.

* * *

"Come in, Rex." The voice is deep, as cold as stone, his voice traveling easily through the thick door. Most people might have hesitated, straightened out their well pressed uniforms before entering, but I was not like most people, my sleeveless vest and ragged jeans accompanied me as I slouched into the room, flicking the door shut behind me. He looks me over once, his eyes as cold as ice but after a moment they seem to melt slowly and a rare smile slips onto his lips. I mirror him, as I press my body into a chair across from him, resting my calf of my right leg on my lefts knee. "Rex," he mumbles under his breathe before realesing a long sigh, "you dont change to do?"

A chuckle escapes my lips. It is a raspy sound, one that fills the room. "Why did you bring me here, Stone?" I raise my unkept brows at him, clasping my hands loosely behind my head. I guess you could say I looked like I was sitting in my lounge room rather than the room of one of my highest most respected superiors. But the captain new better than to question me. I was one of their best, one of their most valued- guess I was a bounty hunter in a way. Sometimes it was criminals that I was after, that I was order to be brought in and in return rewarded with a large sum or cash, but other times it was dangerous mutts and other beats that I was slaying, creatures that have gotten out of hand, that threatened the Capitol and its residence. 

"I need your help."

* * *

"Rex go left- REX!" The voice whines, slicing through the air. He tells me to go left but I couldnt care less instead I go right, my eyes making contact with the bloke beside me. I can see the frustration in his eyes and I flick a wicked grin in his direction. "I bet ya One hundred dollars that I can take down more of these sip shits than you." The guy in charge had shot my offer down almost instantly before the mission started. He had told me that this was not competition but a team effort- he had stressed that it would be dangerous but I craved danger, I craved a challenge.-

"Rex go to your LEFT NOW!" Rolling my eyes I slip around to the left, my feet making no sound on the ground as the formation ran through the low hanging bushes. Our mission was to slay a small heard of fire breathing lizards which had made their nest to close for comfort. A few years ago I had done something similar, but with a smaller group only consisting of two. I had done that one on my own, almost costing me my life, but the experience had been one that I would never forget- a scar which painted my left thigh, would also be a constant reminder of my dance with death. 

Suddenly the leader of the group stops, around me the four other soldiers follow instantly. I watch as the come to a halt crouching close to the go=round, their breathing laboured s the took the moment to catch their breath. I walk over to the leader, despite how much I disliked him and his pushy personality I had to give him credit. His people respected him and would follow him to their deaths if he asked.  "Have you ever faced one of these creatures before?" I ask more out of curiosity than anything. I knew that I would be able to handle myself but I also had to consider that their was going to be at least five of these things and despite how much I disgusted it I knew that I would need their help, they would have to watch my back because I wouldn't be able to do it myself. 

The leader pauses for a moment before nodding, "Once." 

His voice shakes slightly giving him away. 

Fear.

"Hey, get yourself together," I spit at him. "You cant be scared. Its not only your life here mate. You don't have room to fear. If your scared you can forget me going in their with you- because I'll tell you I have faced these creatures before and they are unforgiving. Once we enter there territory there is no going back. They will hunt you down. They will kill you."

* * *

The lizard falls, his eyes of fire dying as it took its last breath. His arrow was buried deep within it upper chest, piercing its heart cutting its ties to this word. A shout fills the air and I turn to see the leader, clutched between the teeth of the last fire breather. His men charge, their blades slicing into the beasts skin, causing it to howl in pain. The captain fell, his body limp as the air hugged it tight before it hit the earth. He doesn't move His body so still blood painting his clothes red-

(Blood painted his finger red, running down his arms as he carried her broken body. He didn't know where he was taking it, he only knew that he had to get it away from here, away from the place where it had broke. He had watched as the animal had buried its claws into the soft flesh of her stomach, ripping into open like a paper back. Her screams still cehoed in his ears. He had told himself that he didn't care, that he was brought up not to care, but he did because he had cared about her. One of the only people he had allowed himself to care about. He had lied when he had said it was his parents fault because it wasn't. It was her fault. She was the reason why he never allowed himself to love.

He had placed her on the ground, the blood which painted his arms seemed to pool on her stomach and hey eyes fluttered shut. Leaning down close his lips had grazed her cheek, the words 'I love you' as she took her last breath, her life ending taking with it his ability to love.)

- the arrow is knocked before I can stop it, flying threw the air moments later hitting its target. It falls. It was dead but it was too late. As I walk over to the captain, looking down it was all too familiar. He was dead. He was gone from this word. But unlike the first time I dont feel anything. I looks over at the exhausted men, their eyes glazed in grief and before picking up the body hauling it over my shoulder. 

"It's time to go." Its the only words muttered, no other sound is heard as the group climb to their feet, awaiting the hike home. 

***

My feet scrape against familiar ground.

I was home now.

Tucking my dirty hair behind my ear I chuck my duffle bag to the side before taking a seat on the edge of my bed. Images of his body followed by hers flash before my vision and for the first time in decades I feel the tears begin to well.

and I cry.